The Thunder were “destined” for an NBA championship prior to breaking up their young, vaunted Big Three in 2012, according to James Harden.
“That’s easy,” adds Russell Westbrook who was also traded away by OKC last summer, and re-joined Harden in Houston.
Both superstars concur that the Rockets “got everything” needed now to win a title.
Per GQ:
Harden: “My third year we lost in the Finals. And we just came off USA Basketball, won a gold medal. It was destined. But shit happens.”
Define success for the Harden-Westbrook Rockets era.
Westbrook: “For me and James, it’s about one thing: the championship. Individually we’ve accomplished more than anybody else. I think for us, there’s only going to be one thing that puts us in the conversation [with the greats].”
What pieces, if any, are y’all missing before you can win a championship?
Harden: “We haven’t been healthy yet, but we’re confident that once we get healthy and we put it together, it’s going to be pretty tough to beat us. Individually we’ve accomplished so much, broken so many records that are going to last forever. We’re not worried about the individual accomplishments. We want to do whatever it takes to win games. You know what I’m saying? Not necessarily me throwing 40 up or him getting a triple-double. Like, shit, that don’t matter. But right now we got so many guys that are out that we gotta pick up the slack. And once we get a full roster, we don’t have to do as much.”
